Reason why you shouldn't travel with black suitcase after warning issued to passengers who tie ribbons on luggage

It's a holidaymaker’s worst nightmare: disembarking from a flight and waiting at the luggage carousel - only to realise your precious cargo never actually made it onto the plane.

Or, even worse, someone else picked it up and whisked it away under your nose.

Unfortunately, this is a reality for millions of travellers. In 2023, it was reported that 33.8 million bags were mishandled in airports across the globe.

In 2024, this number went down to 33.4 million, but it's definitely still worth putting the best travel practices in play that you can.

Well, did you know it could be your own holiday habits causing your travel dramas?

According to travel blogger Johnny Jet, anyone who journeys with an understated, black suitcase risks not receiving their luggage after their flight.

The holiday guru, who has made a career out of simplifying travel for those with wanderlust, has revealed that your dark-coloured suitcase is actually the most likely item to get lost on the carousel.

Over 26 million items of luggage were lost a few years ago (Getty Stock Image)

That's right; according to Jet, a black suitcase is one of the most commonly stolen, due to other passengers believing the luggage is their own.

An industry insider told Jet: “In the baggage industry, it's 22HW type and almost regarded as the default bag type. If your bag is missing, you don't want to be the black hard one, you want to be the green one.

"Many people travel with black suitcases on wheels, which makes identifying them very time-intensive," Jet added, as per The Mirror.

"No matter which company you buy your luggage from, just make sure it's not a black hard-sided suitcase because you want your luggage to be easy to identify.”

To avoid having your luggage pilfered or it being put on another plane, it’s advised that you instead invest in a bag that stands out. Whether that be in colour or texture.

However, if you’re dead-set on keeping your black hard-sided suitcase, then investing in an Apple AirTag or SmartTag could help save the day, the publication writes.

Another way people tend to single out their cases is by weaving a ribbon around the handle.

Your sleek, black suitcase could be causing you more harm than good (Getty Stock Image)

Not only does it make it easier for you to spot, but this popular ‘hack’ is likely to stop others at the carousel from picking up your bag.

However, while it can be helpful for those picking up luggage, tying a ribbon to your suitcase can actually cause major issues behind the scenes.

John, who works at Dublin Airport as a baggage handler, told RSVP Live that these indicators can actually stop your bags from being put on your flight altogether.

“Ribbons people tie onto their suitcases to help identify them can cause issues with the bag being scanned in the baggage hall,” the expert explained.

“If the bag can't be scanned automatically it can end up in manual processing, which could mean your bag doesn't make it to the flight.”

According to John, stickers can also ‘cause confusion with the scanning process’ so it’s advised you peel these off too.

So, no tags, no stickers, no ribbons and definitely no black suitcases. That’s if you want to enjoy the first few days of your holiday, of course.

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